


Chocobo Feathers

by Siver



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:54:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29382369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: Travel gets no easier in their ruined world until they find a pleasant surprise
Relationships: Celes Chere & Macías "Mash" Rene Figaro | Sabin Rene Figaro & chocobo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Chocobo Feathers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laughingpineapple](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughingpineapple/gifts).



“Hold up,” Sabin said, stopping in his tracks. The trees loomed overhead, barren branches and browned leaves clawing through the air. Sabin figured he was used to the groves and copses and forests of the hills and mountains well enough, and surely it wouldn’t be so different down here, but this patch felt off somehow with an unsettling air to the damp smells around them. More rotting than alive he thought and he was starting to regret their choice to come this way instead of making the wide berth around the forest. Until now anyway.

“What is it?” Celes asked, hand on her sword hilt, as she stood erect, her eyes alert.

Sabin crouched with a grin. Here was one thing she wouldn’t need that sword for. Some more good news at last. “Chocobo tracks,” he said brightly.

“Here?” Celes’s eyes narrowed incredulously. “That seems unlikely.”

Sabin bounced back up. “I know those feet when I see ‘em. Looks like we picked a good path after all.”

“Maybe,” Celes said, but kept her hand at her sword as they moved onward following the narrow path.

Sabin kept close enough to be companionable if not so close as to be intrusive. Celes had been quiet and colder somehow since they left Mobliz. He was pretty sure she didn’t exactly begrudge Terra remaining, but a disappointment was a disappointment all the same, he figured. A friendly face would do some good and few more spotted tracks raised Sabin’s hopes that sight would be sooner than later.

Sooner, it seemed as a short while later Sabin cocked his head. That had to be and when Celes nodded in agreement that she too had heard that faint kweh, they pressed on until the path opened into a small clearing.

An old building stood there accompanied by a weathered sign depicting a worn feather. Then with a familiar ‘kweh!’ a chocobo rounded the corner and ambled in front of the building coming to stop with a louder kweh as it stared at them.

“Ha, here we are.” Sabin said.

“Kweeeh!”

“Someone’s coming,” Celes said and the door opened with a loud creak.

“What’s the matter, Coco?” An older man stepped out and stopped dead at the sight of them. Then a wide smile split his face. “Visitors! Hello, hello. It’s been some time!”

“A chocobo stable. Here? Now?” Celes asked.

“Of course! I can hardly think of a time someone could want one of my birds more.” The old man’s face fell. “Well, if there was anyone around that is. You folks are the first I’ve seen in months.”

“Are you alone here?” Sabin asked.

“Just me and the birds. Not that I’m complaining mind. You won’t find a nobler creature anywhere. Ah, here comes Addy now.”

Coco had wandered off to another part of the clearing and poked at some of the scraggly grass there. Another chocobo came trotting toward the group and stopped near Celes, cocking its head before stepping more delicately toward her. 

“Go on,” the man said, “Give her a pat. She likes it on the beak.”

For a moment Celes hesitated then lifted a hand to give Addy a cautious pat. Addy pressed her beak deeper into her hand and to Sabin’s mild surprise, but greater joy, Celes gave a low chuckle and let her hand slide over her beak to give her head a scratch, earning a happy burbly wark in return.

“There she is,” the man said with a grin. “Would you folks be looking to rent by any chance? None of my poor birds have had the chance to really run out there. I don’t dare go too far.”

“They would be helpful,” Celes said slowly, “but the monsters have only grown more dangerous. It might be better not to risk—.”

“Bah! I’d like to see one try anything against my beauties.”

“He’s right, you know,” Sabin said. “Merchants don’t just use them for transport and speed. Most monsters will avoid ‘em unless they want a solid kick to the face. They make great guards. Why do you think the Figaro patrols use them too? I say we go for it.”

“Kweh!” Addy exclaimed and nuzzled Celes’s shoulder.

“We do have a long way to go and the speed would help greatly... All right.”

“Great!” The man said. “Looks like you’re settled with my Addy, ma’am?”

“I don’t think I have much choice,” Celes said with a wry smile and rubbed a hand over Addy’s neck feathers.

“That leaves you sir. Come on to the back and let’s see who likes you eh?”

Sabin followed the man around the building to the back where more chocobos milled about. He stopped and stared. It was a familiar sight even if the surroundings were entirely different. How many times had he and Edgar raced to the stables? Or watched the patrols? Rode out together into the desert? That felt like another lifetime or two ago, but some things never faded. Even he and Duncan had taken them from time to time when traveling. So much was different now. Funny how some things came back…

One chocobo, a little larger than its fellows, caught Sabin’s eye. He approached slowly and the chocobo eyed him.

“Kweh!”

“Hey there.” He held out a hand and the chocobo bumped it.

“That’s Flora,” the man said. “A fine choice if she’ll have you.”

“Hi Flora. Want to go for a ride?”

Flora seemed to dance in one spot. “Wark wark!”

Sabin grinned. “Looks like she’s raring to go.”

They returned to the front where Celes was still preoccupied with Addy though she straightened at their approach and exchanged a nod with Sabin. Soon they were loaded up, along with extra supplies for the birds, and were on their way, waved off by the man with a cheery wave and a “good luck!” and an “I’ll see you soon, my lovelies.”

Soon they emerged from the forest and the plains of the newly risen trench spread before them.

“To Nikeah?” Sabin asked.

“Let’s hope it’s still there,” Celes replied as she stared into the distance.

“Of course it will be.”

She turned her head to look at him with a faint smile. “Thank you, Sabin. Let’s go.”

They sped forward, two bright patches of yellow against the drab greys and browns of their surroundings. The wind of their passing was chilly yet exhilarating and the chocobos seemed joyful to simply run without restraint nor barrier.

“Look at that,” Sabin muttered to himself. It seemed even the grimness that had settled over Celes couldn’t entirely withstand a chocobo’s company as her hair streamed in the wind and she sat, shoulders back and confident. He felt lighter now as well. They were going to find Edgar, Cyan and Gau and all the rest too. And they rode on, hope in each stride of a chocobo’s step.


End file.
